Car-coupling



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

C. T. CHAPPELL.

GAR COUPLING.

INVBNTOR Patented Apr. 27, 1886.

(No Model.) 2' Sheets-Sheet 2. 0. T. OHAPPELL.

GAR COUPLING.

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ATTORNEYS;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLIFTON T. OHAIPELL, OF MACON, GEORGIA.

CAR-COUPLlNG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 340,762, dated April27,1886.

Application filed December 9, 1885.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLIFTON T. CHAPPELL, of Macon, in the county of Bibband State of Georgia, have invented a certain new and useful Improvementin Car-Couplings, of whicheration; and to this end the inventionconsists of a pair of coupling-jaws pivotally connected to a draw-head,said jaws being formed so that when held together there is a sphericalrecess back of a bell-shaped mouth-piece, the jaws being held togetherby a locking-dog, which is retracted at the time of coupling oruncoupling, but which after the cars are coupled is held between theheels of the couplingpieces by a spiral spring.

The invention further consists of certain other details of constructionand combination of parts, which will be hereinafter explained.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a view of a portion of one end of an ordinary form offreight or box car with my improved coupling applied thereto. Fig. 2 isa view of the side of the draw-head and coupling removed from the caf.Fig. 3 is a view in vertical cross-section taken on line as :0 of Fig.2. Fig. 4 is a view of the connecting-link between the locking-dog andthe operating-lever. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view oftwo of the couplings, the parts being represented in the positions theyassume as the cars are approaching and the ball of the coupling-link hasjust struck upon the jaw of the coupling; and Fig. 6 is a similar viewrepresenting the parts as they appear after the cars have approachedstill closer.

Referring now to the drawings just described, A represents the draw-bar,formed Serial No. 185,112. (No model.)

with an enlarged head, A,in which there is a recess, a, said recessbeing rectangular at its inner end, but being formed .with beveled Lflaring mouth-piece in the shape of one half of an ordinary form ofhell, there being a shoulder, 0, between the parts, as clearly'shown inFigs. 5 and 6.

Back of the hemispherical portion of the coupling-jaws each jaw isprovided with a lug or heel, f, which fits within the rectangularportion of the recess a, the jaws being held in place by pivot pins orbolts 6 e, and each heel f being formed with a notch, so that when thetwo jaws are in the position shown on the left in Figs. 5 and 6 therewill be a space or recess, d, between the heels, which may be entered bya locking-dog, O.

In order that the jaws may be free to swing upon their pivotedconnection with the drawhead to the position shown on the right in Fig.6, each heel f is beveled off at g, and in order that the locking-dogmay not strike against a sharp projection or shoulder when being forcedforward into the recess between the heels I bevel the heel of the jaw B,as shown at h. while the heel of the jaw B is rounded off at h, thisconstruction being clearly shown in the figures last referrcdto.

The locking-dog O is provided with a shank, L, which runs through anaperture formed in a partition, Z, of the draw-bar A, the dog be ingheld forward and within the recess 73 by means of the spiral spring m.In order that the locking-dog may be withdrawn from its normal positionin the socket z',I provide such a mechanism as is best illustrated inthe first four figures of the drawings,

The dog 0 is provided with a crossbar, D, which extends through slotsformed through each side of the draw-head.

Just atthe point where the drawhead A- branches out from the draw-bar Athere is a lug, n, and to this lug there is pivoted a U- shaped lever,N, which projects forward from its pivotal connection with the lug a,and is connected to each end of the bar D by links 0. From the center ofthe U-shaped portion of the lever N there extends an arm, 12, which ICOis provided with a weight, p, and the lower end of this arm 1) isconnected by a chain, q, to a shaft, 0, which extends across the end ofthe car, each end of the shaft being provided with a hand-wheel, as P. Asecond chain, q, extends from the end of the armp to the lower end of avertical shaft, 1?, which is secured in bearings fixed to the end of thecar and extends upward slightly above the car-roof.

The coupling-link M, used with such a coupling as has been described,consists of a shank, r, upon each end of which there is a ball, B, soproportioned as to fit snugly within the spherical recess formed by therecesses 12 I).

The operation of this coupling is as follows: The coupling-link M havingbeen inserted between the jawsB B of one of the cars to be" coupled, andthe locking-dog O having been advanced within the recess 2', so as toprevent the jaws from swinging upon their pivotal connection, the carsto be coupled are brought together, and as they approach the extendingball B of the coupling-link M will strike against the bell-shaped mouthd of the lower jaw, B, of the car, to which the first car named is to becoupled, because, as will be well understood, the force ofgravity willdraw the coupling-link M to substantially the position shown in Fig. 5.As the cars continue to approach the ball R will slide up the bell'shaped mouthpiece until the coupling-link and the opening jaws will beabout in the position shown in Fig. 6, when any continued approach tothe cars will cause the ball to enter the recesses b b, after which thejaw B will drop down so that its lower edge will be about in ahorizontal plane,aud the lowerjaw, B, will be raised when theballBstrikes against its inner rear face, 12. \Vhen the parts are in thisposition, the .spring m will act to force thelocking-dog 0 forwardwithin the recessi, thereby locking the jaws and preventing them fromspreading to release the ball R. lVhen it is desirable to uncouplethecars, either the shaft 0 or the shaft P will be rotated to wind upthe chains q q, which winding ofthe chains will move the lever N to theposition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, thus withdrawing the dog 0from the recess i and leaving the jaws B B free to swing upon theirpivoted connections 6. In order that cars provided with this couplingmay be coupled with cars provided with the old form of pin-and-linkcoupling, I provide each of theja-wsB B with an aperture,as 8, throughwhich the couplingpin may be inserted, a coupling-link of the ordinaryconstruction being used at this time.

The balls B B will have all necessary play within the recesses of thelocking-jaws,owing to the form of the mouth-pieces d.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new. anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is V 1. The combination, with a drawhead formed with a recess, a, of pivotally-mounted coupling-jawsprovided with recesses 72 b and heels f, having recesses 13, alocking-dog, O, and a manipulating mechanism, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination, with a draw-head, of two locking-jaws formed withrecesses b, flaring mouth d, heels f, provided with recesses i,pivot-pin e, a locking-dog,O, spring 111., lever N, chain q, and shaft0, substantially as described.

3. The combination,with a draw-head formed with a recess, a, of thelockingjaws B B, the jaw B being formed with a heel, f, and beveledfaces g and h, while the jaw B is formed with a beveled face, 9, andcurved face h, the twojaws being held to the draw-head by pivotpins 6e,a locking-dog, 0, formed with a shank, k, spring m, a lever, N,pivotally mounted on the draw-head and connected by a link, 0, to

the bar D of the locking-dog, a chain, q, and a shaft, 0, substantiallyas described.

CLIFTON T. GHAPPELL. Witnesses:

W. T. HENRY, J NO. T. DONAHUE.

